For many soccer players, spring tryouts are coming up very soon. In a few short weeks, thousands of soccer⚽ players across the United States will be trying to make a new team, join a new club, or stay on their current team.
Tryouts are held in different styles. Players may be evaluated in a series of training sessions or a one-time identification event. Whatever the level or environment for the tryout, players need to be prepared to work hard 💪and play at their best.
This week, Blayze soccer coach Mike Semenza brings you a list of ten drills he says all players should focus on leading up to tryouts.
These are the five fundamental technical abilities for defenders, midfielders, and forwards broken into five focus areas with two drills each. If a player can build these skills in their individual training, they will be well-prepared for their upcoming tryouts.😉
All these drills can be performed with a ball, ⚽a few cones, and a flat surface to pass the ball off on. If you have a goal to shoot on, great! If not, find creative ways to make a shooting target.🎯
Check out the Ten Drills Here!!
But what should you do outside of drills?🤔
1 – Prepare yourself mentally. 🧠Soccer tryouts can go from making you excited to making you anxious and nervous quickly. This is completely normal and okay. But try not to put too much pressure on yourself. There will always be other opportunities.
2 – Identify which skills you need to improve. If you know your speed🏃♀️ isn’t as great as it should be, start doing speed drills every week leading up to your tryouts. Maybe you want to be better at penalty kicks? Then you need to set time aside every week to devote to working on your PKs.
3 – Don’t forget about your nutrition. 🍉Many soccer players forget that food is what fuel their body’s performance. You should not make any major changes to your diet before tryouts. You don’t want to risk upsetting your stomach or accidentally not eating enough to fuel your body.
During the week leading up to your tryouts, avoid eating too many highly processed foods. 🍟These are not good fuel for your muscles and can make you perform slower. Plus, they can slow down muscle recovery and you do not want to be sore or tired at tryouts.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!💦💦💦
4 – Confidence.💪 The single most important skill you need is your confidence. If you believe in yourself and know that you are a strong player, that will show in your performance.
Do you have a question that you want answered? Reply to this email with your question and you might see it answered in our next newsletter!
Article of the week: 5 Tips to Help You Prepare for Soccer Tryouts
Soccer tryouts bring a mix of emotions for many players. Some players might be trying out for the next level in their club. Some might be trying out for entirely new clubs or teams.
